Hoffman



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. W. HOFFMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, lASSIGNOR TO HENRY A. LANDRY. l

FROG Fon RAILBOADS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,921, dated December 4, 1849.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. HOFFMAN, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia vand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful machine for the purpose of enabling car-wheels to pass Where rails crosseach other on railroads,l

known as a new and improved frog; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a sectional ground or base view; Fig. 3, an 1nverted view; Fig. 4, a sectional perspective view; Fig. 5, a top sectional view; Fig. G, a. side sectional view, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are sectional views.

Fig. 1: letters A, A, and B, B, are rails on rail road; C, and D, are leaves of frog; H, is point where rails meet.

Fig. 2: I, is base; G, G, G, G, are projecf tions of same, H, is point where rails meet. F, is an opening. S, S, S, S, and N, are holes. 4

Fig. 3: J, J, and K, are studs; L, and/M, are springs.

Fig. 4: I, is base; N, is a hole; C, and D, are leaves; E, E, are bolts.

Figs. 5, and 6: E, is a hole; J, is a stud.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9:,L, and M, are springs; J, and K, are studs; a, is rail; g, a stone wall; F excavation, or cistern. a pulley; c, an axle; d, a chain; e, a weight.

In the construction of my invention Fig. 2, 4is a cast iron base with the exception of point H, which is made of wrought iron or Vsteel and secured in base, by the metal of base being cast around it, projectincr at same time above the base, to the level of rails A, and B, Fig. 1. When this is done, springs L, and M, Fig. 7, are placed on the under side of I, Fig. 2, and fastened to I, with stud K, Figs. 3, and 7, as shown in Fig. 3. The springs L, and M, Fig. 3, being fastened on the underside of base I, Fig. 2; as above described, the base is then read for the leaves C and D Fig. 1; which eaves are made of wrought iron with a stud fastened on the under side, as shown by J, Fig. 6, a hole is also made in the heel of leaves C, and D, Fig. 4, as. shown by E, Fig. 5. Leaves C and D Fig. l, being thus constructed, they are placed on base Fig. 2, with stud J, Fig. 6, passing down through open space F, Fig. 2, and coming between spring L, and M, Fig. 3, as shown by J, J, Fig. 3. Leaves nC and D Fig. 1, are then fastened to base I Fig. 2, by means of a bolt, passing through hole E Fig. 5, and then made fast in I, Fig..2, as shown by E, E, Fig. 4, forming at the same time, a joint or hinge at the heel of C, and D, Fig. 1, and permitting them to be moved out from point H, Fig. v1. This is done in order to let the fianche of a` car wheel pass through between C, or D, Fig. 1, and polnt H, Fig. 1.

The frog being thus completed, it is ready 4can also be formed by substituting a' cast iron cistern. The frog is then placed on its foundation and secured to the foundation, b bolts passing through holes S, S, S, S, Fig. 2, and down through the wall. The rails A, and B, Fig. 1, are then attached to the frog and ready for action.

When the cars are on A A, Fig. 1, and in motion, the anche of the car wheels will come in contact with leaf C, and move C, out from point H, making room for the flanche of the car wheel to pass through, while C, is moved' out in the manner described by the action of the car wheel; D, remains stationary and affords a solid and substantial bearing for the car wheels to run upon, as soon as the train of cars has passed over the frog, the leaf C, is again moved in against point H, by the action of spring M Fig. 3. When the cars are on the track B, B, Fig. 1, and in motion, the action will be on leaf D, moving D out, making room for the Hanche, while C will afford the bearing for the car wheels, the action of leaves C and D are similar, also the action of springs L and M are similar, which springs are only applied to bring back the leaves C, and D, Fig. l, against point H, Fig. 1. This purpose can also be accomplished by means of weights pulleys and chains, as shown in Fig. 9, b-y e, Z), and d,

when these are applied the chain d, Fig. 9, is fastened to stud y', Fig. 6, passing over pulley b, Fig. 9, suspended in exeavationF,

l with weight e attached.

- tially B the application of my invention to rail rosl s, a solid and substantial bearing is afforded to the car Wheels, which is not the case in the common frog, now in use.

What claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters patent, is a rail road frog, constructed with hinged leaves acted upon either by weights or springs, essenin the manner and for the purposes hereln described.

' J. W. HOFFMAN. Witnesses: C. A. DALE, A. E. HOFFMAN.`

DISCLAIMER.

` To. uw ommmioner of Patents.-

The petition of HENRY A. LANDRY, ot Camden, in the county of Camden and State 'of New Jersey, respectfully re resents that l Letters Patent of the United tates for an Im roved Frog for Railroads was granted to im on the 4th day of December, 1849, as

ythe assignee of John W. Hofman, of Phlladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, who was the original and first inventor of the said Improved Frog for Railroads; that he has reason to believe that, through inadvertence and mistake, the claim made in the specification of said Letters Patent is too broad, including that of which the said JOHN W. HOFFMAN was not the first inventor. Your petitioner, therefore, hereby enters his disclaimer to that part of the claim in the aforesaid specification which 1s in the following Words, to wit:

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

. a railroad frog, constructed with hinged leaves acted upon by either weights or springs.

I desire to limit and restrict this said claim so that it will only 'cover and protect the attachment of the said weights or springs to that part of the said hinged leaves of a rail-road frog at or near the angles of the same or the point of the V of the frog, and the hinged ends of the said leaves, which disclaimer is to operate to the extent of the interest in said Letters Patent vested in your petitioner, who has paid ten dollars into the Treasury of the United States, agreeably to the requirements of the act of Congress in that case made and provided.

HENRY A. LANDRY. Witnesses Z. C. RoBINs, H. H. YOUNG. 

